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Friday, January 29, 2010

Touchfaster will Take GA/GI Fest and Super Size it!

we wanted a large, leafy festival salad, but we wanted more veggies with that. So Adam Keene, the Duquesne University dymnamo who runs Mpowered introduced us to Touchfaster, an engergetic group of six 20-somethings, who have combined their considerable resources and incredible talents to create a company that makes artistic culture in the city "happen."

The Touchfaster group has been in the making for several years. Six friends, Kevin Saftner, Christmas Eger, Eli Rebich, Pierce Marratto, Cory Chicconie, and Skip Douglas have "hung out together," since their early school days. Saftner was a young DJ who often booked bands in which the others performed. He eventually entered IUP as a Business Management Major, and the others members of Touchfaster also went away to different colleges. It was later, when they had all graduated with complimentary skills that Saftner assessed the possibilites, reconnected the group, and they have been working out of his home in Dormont for the last several months.

Said Saftner, "Touchfaster orginated as a music promotion company, now we're involved in music, arts, and fashion." And we should add charity benefits. Their Facebook page on January 26 said in part:Hey guys. Come hang out with us Saturday night down at Folino's in the South Side for our Haiti benefit show.......Time to lend a hand and help... change some lives together.>>>:::POWER ON:::<<<< Touchfaster is on a roll. They will be promoting GA/GI to a diverse mix of people, designing marketing material, providing music, and giving GA/GI some branding assistance. In addition Saftner is also completing another project: A new restaurant which will serve "family style" food.Penny's Diner (mapquest it at 4080 Washington Road, McMurray, PA 15367) opens February 8th, 2010.

Subscribe To Geek Art Green Innovators Festival

WHAT IS GA/GI? HOW DO I GET INVOLVED?

GAGI (pronounced GAH-gee) Geek Art and Green Innovators-- The first art + technoogy festival in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. GA/GI was created as a platform to showcase current, unique and innovative projects, products and art created by the green and technoloy industries. Businesses and galleries along the nationally acclaimed Penn Avenue Arts District, will serve as hosts for the festival's many exhibitiions and demos with kick-off activites leading up to the main event on Friday, April 2 during the"Unblurred" art Crawl.

Complete Schedule TBA!

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISIONS IS CLOSED

( A limited number of small projects may still exhibit if they work within exsisting programs)

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for April 2, 2010

Submissions being accepted for 2011

Participation is limited only by your imagination! There is no formal application form. If you are selected to participatie you will receive a notification form to fill out. You or your organizations can:

1. Adpot or promote a "geek" or "green" activity giving support to emerging inventors, their projects (If you are not in our Penn Ave. district, we'll find a host location or gallery to sponsor you)

2. Purchase a vendor table to promote your green or technology business in our "Eco/TechCenter. Email us for details.(Space limited!)

3. Volunteer to assist with the event.

4. Make a cash donation or offer an in-kind service to the GAGI Festival.

5. Provide Technology or Green realated art

6. Design your own "green" or tchnology demo. If it goes with our festival theme, we'll find a place for it.